Octane boosters may sound like a collection of cartoon characters, or an awkward high school basketball mascot name. If you are familiar with NOX (made of Nitrous Oxide), then you should be interested in adding an extra advantage to your conventional vehicle. Tearing the streets on an octane booster-powered engine is a beautiful fantasy every speed enthusiast dreams of. Many of these enthusiasts are oblivious when they are asked how Octane boosters work.
First of all, you need to know that octane boosters are fuel addictives to complement regular functions and power of your car’s built-in octane rating. The most common misconception anyone would make about these additives is the engine power would accelerate the overall performance including speed.
These additives are an advantage for high compression cars with high octane rating because the engine and system of these cars are designed to increase in performance. This holds true for sport cars such as Lamborghini and Porsche. Use of lower than required octane causes pre-ignition in combustion chamber. You’ll experience pinging or knocking which subsequently leads to engine failure.
However additional octane is deemed unworthy if the car does not possess a high built-in octane rate. Not only that, it does not extend the life of your car as well. Regular unleaded petrol car such as Nissan or Toyota would not improve in performance as a result of these additives. Regular brands promoting octane-filled liquid make the usual claims of improving BHP, and reduce pinking. When advertisers claim to boost the octane level to 10 notches, consumers might assume that an 80 octane increased to 90 point. In actual, octane points are calculated in tenths.
It is easy to learn how Octane boosters work. As advertised, the producers do claim that Octane is able to restore lost horse power of certain cars, thus improving the overall engine performance. Advertisers even guarantee the driver an adrenalin-filled contentment after gassing up on fuel addictives.
However, these addictives are proven faulty when emissions tests are carried in laboratories. Scientists abroad concluded that the adding of Octane to regular gasoline is not a confirmation of improved performance. On the contrary, Octane could reduce over-all engine power by an average of 2%.
Octane gained popularity in the US when best-selling authors and reviewers use the term “High-Octane” to describe the superiority of the promoted material. In conclusion, double check your car’s manual for the Octane rating needed. Remember, Octane boosters are able to improve your car’s power and performance if used correctly as required.
Further reading on how octane boosters work.
